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Congressional Record

Safe Haven Congressional Record-001

1945
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—APPENDIX
A2859
But aside from his record as a constructive legislator, as a man his sense
of justice, his sympathetic approach to
the problems of his constituency and of
the Nation, his willingness to understand
attitudes whether or not in agreement
with his own, bore eloquent testimony
to his fairness and demonstrated his concept of a universe of "one for all" and
not "all for one".
As a friend and as a colleague, I am
grateful for the association which was
ours and feel honored that for a period
of many years we served our great State
together.
My deepest sympathy is extended to
his family who courageously are carrying on, blessed with the memories of a
great and good man.
War Refugees at Fort Ontario, N. Y.
EXTENSION OP REMARKS
or
HON. HADWEN C. FULLER
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES
Monday, June 4, 1945
Mr. yULLER. Mr. Speaker, the situation of nearly 1,000 war refugees housed
at Fort Ontario, N. Y., has attracted wide
attention in the Nation.
I wish to include in my remarks a
memorial to the President and the Congress of the United States concerning the
freedom of these refugees which has been
placed in my hands by the citizens' committee for the Fort Ontario Refugee
Shelter, of Oswego, N. Y. This gives the
history and present status of these
people.
In view of the importance of the matter, I believe the reading of this memorial is worth while for every Member of
the House. f
The memorial is as follows:
A MEMORIAL TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE CON-
CRESS Or THE UNITED STATES CONCERNING THE
FREEDOM OF WAR REFUGEES TEMPORARILY LIVING AT PORT ONTARIO, OSWEGO, N. Y.
In August 1944, 982 refugees, natives ol 17
European countries, were brought to Oswego,
N. Y., as guests of the United States. Many
of these people had been on the march since
1934, escaping ever from Hitler's advancing
power and persecution. During their years
of flight, most of the values ordinary humans
hold dear and sacred were lost to them—
homeland, possessions, security, friends, relatives and, in some Instances, family. Consequently, when, to a limited group, the Invitation was extended to come to America,
It was seized with eagerness and anticipation.
Now at last, behind them lay terror, persecution and insecurity; ahead of them was freedom and an opportunity to build life anew.
These refugees have now lived In our land
for almost a year. They have a tentative
security, the friendship of the people of Oswego whom they have been able to meet,
modest provision for food, shelter, and medical care. But Instead of the freedom they
sought and of which they dreamed, they have
been closely held In a fenced area on the
shores of Lake Ontario, with permission to
be absent from the camp for only 6-hour
periods, and without permission to visit relatives or friends beyond the limits of the city
of Oswego. Instead of the opportunity to
f jhlon a new life for themselves and their
families, they have been deprived of a chance
to work at any gainful or life building pursuits; and this last In the face of a local and
national war manpower shortage of critical
proportions.
To be sure, after all arrangements for their
departure had been made and they were at
the ports of embarkation, these people signed
statements saying that they agreed to reside
at Fort Ontario for the duration of the war
and then to return to their homelands.
When, for so long, one's very life has been In
jeopardy, all the ramifications of a document
one signs to gain security do not Immediately
become evident, and It does not seem fair to
enforce commitments which are inhumane
and which are accepted only In desperation.
Succoring these people, less than 1,000 of
the distressed millions of the world, represents our "token of good will to all mankind." Such was our statement when we
carefully selected them to be our guests.
The wisdom exercised in their selection has
been confirmed by our own relations with
them, for we have learned that they are unquestionably very worthy. They are intelligent; the adults, In their contacts through
lectures, visits, etc., have provided an intellectual stimulus to the city of Oswego. The
children and young people In our schools
and college rank high. All are cultured and
talented; many of the group were formerly
business and Industrial leaders; some are
musicians of concert-stage ability, artists,
actors, writers, and members of many of the
learned professions. They are law abiding.
Having so long been the victims of autocracy,
they are Imbued with the Idea that democracy
represents the good life. Some are already
tightly bound to this country. Nineteen have
sons In our armed forces; some even have
wives and many have brothers and sisters
who are citizens of this Nation.
These 982, wisely or unwisely, we have
brought to our shores. They are now very
definitely our problem. We need to face It
realistically. Regardless of what they signed,
they cannot all go back to their homelands,
for in some cases these have been destroyed,
and approximately one-third have been deprived of citizenship in the countries of their
origin. We cannot keep them confined for
an Indefinitely longer period, Inactive and
desperate (to the point in some cases of Insanity and suicide) as they see life slipping
by with no opportunity to make a place for
themselves and families In an onrushlng
world.
Less than 1,000 In a population of 135,-
000,000 will not In any way disturb the economic life of our country, and, since they
represent a unique experiment, our treatment
of them will not In any way establish a
precedent or In any way complicate existing
laws. As a matter of fact, we could permit
them all to stay In this country without
conflict with our Immigration quotas. In the
last 3'/2 years only a small percentage of the
Immigration quotas have been filled. To
give as examples, the four countries which
are most numerously present at the Fort
Ontario shelter:
Quota
for last
3H years
Immigrants to
United
Ptatcs,
V-.' years
lieprc-
senta-
tives at
shelter
2,903
105, 595
22,834
9,969
490
7,913
6,000
1,430
304
Oermany and Austria-
337
1S1
41
Unless we are to deny the very essence of
what we are fighting for now and have
always stood for (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), we should give our guests
their freedom. If we do not do this, our
pledges of world good will Indeed sound
hollow.
At the time of the arrival of the refugees,
the War Relocation Authorities requested
that a citizens' advisory committee be formed
in Oswego to act as a liaison group between
the refugees and the people of Oswego and
the other nearby communities. Its members
were appointed from citizens representing the
varied business, civic, social, educational, religious, and labor interests and activities of
the city of Oswego. It is nonpartisan In
character. Both the Individual members of
the committee and the committee as a whole
have visited the shelter many times during
the past few months and have been in continuous contact with authorities at the
shelter.
Gradually the committee has become cognizant of the situation as described above,
and now finds itself facing a much greater
responsibility than it anticipated. After long
and careful consideration, the committee believes that—
1. The situation Is different from anything
anticipated by all concerned a year ago.
2. Action to meet the new situation Is imperative.
3. Action should be taken along the lines
of the following resolutions.
4. That the action recommended Is in conformity with the thinking of the citizens of
Oswego who share the Information given In
this memorial.
Resolved, That—
1. Benevolent and generous as was the Intent of our Government in providing a shelter
for the 982 refugees, because of restraint of
their freedom, Fort Ontario has taken on the
psychological aspect of a prison. We feel the
refugees should be permitted to reside at
places of their own choices with friends and
relatives. The taxpayers of the country
should be relieved of the expense of caring
for these refugees when relatives, friends, or
private agencies are ready to care for them, If
necessary, and guarantee that they shall not
become public charges.
2. In this period of critical manpower
shortage, the refugees should be permitted to
accept gainful employment, and build themselves anew Into their professions. In the
case of many who have seen their productive
years uselessly spent and no security ahead
for their families, this is an Imperative need.
3. The refugees who would, except for their
present peculiar circumstances, be eligible
under our existing immigration quotas should
be permitted, should they so desire, to become citizens of the United States under
existing rules and regulations.
4. Those who desire to return to their home,
land or any portion of the world_ should be
given the opportunity as soon as conditions
permit.
Finally, the committee believes that the
problem of these 982 refugees now living at
Fort Ontario should be considered unique
and apart from all other refugee problems
consequent to the present war. They constitute our country's immediate responsibility. It Is the Nation's clear duty, In charity
and decency, to carry to Its logical solution
this definite obligation.
Signed: Ralph W. Swetman, president,
Oswego State Teachers' College;
Harry C. Mlzen, lawyer and president of citizens' committee for
Fort Ontario refugee shelter;
Marian C. Mackin, executive secretary, American Red Cross; Daniel
A. Williams, director of Oswego
County Savings Bank; Jeremiah J.
Davern, pastor of St. Joseph's
Roman Catholic Church and member of Oswego ration board;
Charles E. Riley, superintendent
of schools and past president of
United War Fund; William T.
Griffiths, pastor of Congregational
Church and president of Oswego
City Council of Churches; Charles
F. Wells, professor of English,
Oswego State Teachers' College,
and Secretary of Oswego County
Schoolmasters' Club; Robert li
Allison, president, Wilcox Bros.

1945
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—APPENDIX
A2859
But aside from his record as a constructive legislator, as a man his sense
of justice, his sympathetic approach to
the problems of his constituency and of
the Nation, his willingness to understand
attitudes whether or not in agreement
with his own, bore eloquent testimony
to his fairness and demonstrated his concept of a universe of "one for all" and
not "all for one".
As a friend and as a colleague, I am
grateful for the association which was
ours and feel honored that for a period
of many years we served our great State
together.
My deepest sympathy is extended to
his family who courageously are carrying on, blessed with the memories of a
great and good man.
War Refugees at Fort Ontario, N. Y.
EXTENSION OP REMARKS
or
HON. HADWEN C. FULLER
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES
Monday, June 4, 1945
Mr. yULLER. Mr. Speaker, the situation of nearly 1,000 war refugees housed
at Fort Ontario, N. Y., has attracted wide
attention in the Nation.
I wish to include in my remarks a
memorial to the President and the Congress of the United States concerning the
freedom of these refugees which has been
placed in my hands by the citizens' committee for the Fort Ontario Refugee
Shelter, of Oswego, N. Y. This gives the
history and present status of these
people.
In view of the importance of the matter, I believe the reading of this memorial is worth while for every Member of
the House. f
The memorial is as follows:
A MEMORIAL TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE CON-
CRESS Or THE UNITED STATES CONCERNING THE
FREEDOM OF WAR REFUGEES TEMPORARILY LIVING AT PORT ONTARIO, OSWEGO, N. Y.
In August 1944, 982 refugees, natives ol 17
European countries, were brought to Oswego,
N. Y., as guests of the United States. Many
of these people had been on the march since
1934, escaping ever from Hitler's advancing
power and persecution. During their years
of flight, most of the values ordinary humans
hold dear and sacred were lost to them—
homeland, possessions, security, friends, relatives and, in some Instances, family. Consequently, when, to a limited group, the Invitation was extended to come to America,
It was seized with eagerness and anticipation.
Now at last, behind them lay terror, persecution and insecurity; ahead of them was freedom and an opportunity to build life anew.
These refugees have now lived In our land
for almost a year. They have a tentative
security, the friendship of the people of Oswego whom they have been able to meet,
modest provision for food, shelter, and medical care. But Instead of the freedom they
sought and of which they dreamed, they have
been closely held In a fenced area on the
shores of Lake Ontario, with permission to
be absent from the camp for only 6-hour
periods, and without permission to visit relatives or friends beyond the limits of the city
of Oswego. Instead of the opportunity to
f jhlon a new life for themselves and their
families, they have been deprived of a chance
to work at any gainful or life building pursuits; and this last In the face of a local and
national war manpower shortage of critical
proportions.
To be sure, after all arrangements for their
departure had been made and they were at
the ports of embarkation, these people signed
statements saying that they agreed to reside
at Fort Ontario for the duration of the war
and then to return to their homelands.
When, for so long, one's very life has been In
jeopardy, all the ramifications of a document
one signs to gain security do not Immediately
become evident, and It does not seem fair to
enforce commitments which are inhumane
and which are accepted only In desperation.
Succoring these people, less than 1,000 of
the distressed millions of the world, represents our "token of good will to all mankind." Such was our statement when we
carefully selected them to be our guests.
The wisdom exercised in their selection has
been confirmed by our own relations with
them, for we have learned that they are unquestionably very worthy. They are intelligent; the adults, In their contacts through
lectures, visits, etc., have provided an intellectual stimulus to the city of Oswego. The
children and young people In our schools
and college rank high. All are cultured and
talented; many of the group were formerly
business and Industrial leaders; some are
musicians of concert-stage ability, artists,
actors, writers, and members of many of the
learned professions. They are law abiding.
Having so long been the victims of autocracy,
they are Imbued with the Idea that democracy
represents the good life. Some are already
tightly bound to this country. Nineteen have
sons In our armed forces; some even have
wives and many have brothers and sisters
who are citizens of this Nation.
These 982, wisely or unwisely, we have
brought to our shores. They are now very
definitely our problem. We need to face It
realistically. Regardless of what they signed,
they cannot all go back to their homelands,
for in some cases these have been destroyed,
and approximately one-third have been deprived of citizenship in the countries of their
origin. We cannot keep them confined for
an Indefinitely longer period, Inactive and
desperate (to the point in some cases of Insanity and suicide) as they see life slipping
by with no opportunity to make a place for
themselves and families In an onrushlng
world.
Less than 1,000 In a population of 135,-
000,000 will not In any way disturb the economic life of our country, and, since they
represent a unique experiment, our treatment
of them will not In any way establish a
precedent or In any way complicate existing
laws. As a matter of fact, we could permit
them all to stay In this country without
conflict with our Immigration quotas. In the
last 3'/2 years only a small percentage of the
Immigration quotas have been filled. To
give as examples, the four countries which
are most numerously present at the Fort
Ontario shelter:
Quota
for last
3H years
Immigrants to
United
Ptatcs,
V-.' years
lieprc-
senta-
tives at
shelter
2,903
105, 595
22,834
9,969
490
7,913
6,000
1,430
304
Oermany and Austria-
337
1S1
41
Unless we are to deny the very essence of
what we are fighting for now and have
always stood for (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), we should give our guests
their freedom. If we do not do this, our
pledges of world good will Indeed sound
hollow.
At the time of the arrival of the refugees,
the War Relocation Authorities requested
that a citizens' advisory committee be formed
in Oswego to act as a liaison group between
the refugees and the people of Oswego and
the other nearby communities. Its members
were appointed from citizens representing the
varied business, civic, social, educational, religious, and labor interests and activities of
the city of Oswego. It is nonpartisan In
character. Both the Individual members of
the committee and the committee as a whole
have visited the shelter many times during
the past few months and have been in continuous contact with authorities at the
shelter.
Gradually the committee has become cognizant of the situation as described above,
and now finds itself facing a much greater
responsibility than it anticipated. After long
and careful consideration, the committee believes that—
1. The situation Is different from anything
anticipated by all concerned a year ago.
2. Action to meet the new situation Is imperative.
3. Action should be taken along the lines
of the following resolutions.
4. That the action recommended Is in conformity with the thinking of the citizens of
Oswego who share the Information given In
this memorial.
Resolved, That—
1. Benevolent and generous as was the Intent of our Government in providing a shelter
for the 982 refugees, because of restraint of
their freedom, Fort Ontario has taken on the
psychological aspect of a prison. We feel the
refugees should be permitted to reside at
places of their own choices with friends and
relatives. The taxpayers of the country
should be relieved of the expense of caring
for these refugees when relatives, friends, or
private agencies are ready to care for them, If
necessary, and guarantee that they shall not
become public charges.
2. In this period of critical manpower
shortage, the refugees should be permitted to
accept gainful employment, and build themselves anew Into their professions. In the
case of many who have seen their productive
years uselessly spent and no security ahead
for their families, this is an Imperative need.
3. The refugees who would, except for their
present peculiar circumstances, be eligible
under our existing immigration quotas should
be permitted, should they so desire, to become citizens of the United States under
existing rules and regulations.
4. Those who desire to return to their home,
land or any portion of the world_ should be
given the opportunity as soon as conditions
permit.
Finally, the committee believes that the
problem of these 982 refugees now living at
Fort Ontario should be considered unique
and apart from all other refugee problems
consequent to the present war. They constitute our country's immediate responsibility. It Is the Nation's clear duty, In charity
and decency, to carry to Its logical solution
this definite obligation.
Signed: Ralph W. Swetman, president,
Oswego State Teachers' College;
Harry C. Mlzen, lawyer and president of citizens' committee for
Fort Ontario refugee shelter;
Marian C. Mackin, executive secretary, American Red Cross; Daniel
A. Williams, director of Oswego
County Savings Bank; Jeremiah J.
Davern, pastor of St. Joseph's
Roman Catholic Church and member of Oswego ration board;
Charles E. Riley, superintendent
of schools and past president of
United War Fund; William T.
Griffiths, pastor of Congregational
Church and president of Oswego
City Council of Churches; Charles
F. Wells, professor of English,
Oswego State Teachers' College,
and Secretary of Oswego County
Schoolmasters' Club; Robert li
Allison, president, Wilcox Bros.